Race cars are supposed to be LOUD right? I grew up fascinated by Formula 1, Grand Prix racing and the incredibly loud Indy 500—all of which necessitated the use of hearing protection. But no more. In 2014, a new class of all-electric race cars called “Formula E” emerged and began racing in various venues around the world. France, of course, now holds an annual “ePrix,” and Los Angeles was the first city in the U.S. to host a Formula E race. But on July 16th of this year, Brooklyn hosted an exciting one.

If you’re a car nut like me, who’s also concerned about air and noise pollution, this is the sport for you!

David Sykes chairs/co-chairs four national professional groups in acoustical science: The Acoustics Research Council, ANSI S12 WG44, The Rothschild Foundation Task Force on Acoustics, and the FGI Acoustics Working Group. He is also a board member of the American Tinnitus Association, co-founder of the Laboratory for Advanced Research in Acoustics (LARA) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, lead author of “Sound & Vibration 2.0 (2012, Springer-Verlag), and a contributor to “Technology for a Quieter America” (2011, National Academy of Engineering). A graduate of the University of California/Berkeley with graduate degrees from Cornell University, he is a frequent organizer of and speaker at professional conferences in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.